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Egg whites with turkey sausage and no cheese.
Hash browns, perfectly crispy.
Fresh-squeezed orange juice that was tangy and pulpy.Just the way I liked it.
And then, of course, coffee.
“Okay, this is good,” I admitted after eating half a sandwich.
Atlas reached for my face and wiped away a clinging piece of the flaky croissant off my left cheek.
“It’s a place a few blocks away,” he said. “A hidden gem.”
“Guess you’re enjoying it while you can, right?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, you said you’re not staying here for long,” I said. “So enjoy it while you can.”
“Something on your mind, love?” Atlas asked.
I blamed the food, caffeine, and as always, the hormones.
“It’s always on my mind, Atlas,” I said. “I think we’re long overdue for a deep conversation here about things. About us. About our baby. I mean, where are we going to live? Are you going to leave here when your contract is up?”
“This is on your mind?”
“Of course it is, Atlas. I don’t know what I want to do. I can’t imagine selling Gram’s house but I don’t know if that’s where I want to live. My entire life is up in the air. And I’m pregnant. I need to figure something out here, Atlas.”
I felt myself starting to shake.
Atlas hurried to my side and hugged me.
“I swore I’d never lie, love,” he whispered. “I don’t have answers to everything here. My only offer right now is to distract you. Make you live in the moment.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
“Getting you dressed and doing something fun. Something a little crazy for you.”
“Which is?”
“Getting you on the ice,” he said.
“I’m pregnant.”
“I’ll protect you, Hazel. I swear on my life. I will protect you.”
I stared into his eyes.
Dark, mean…
My body shivered.
I was seriously losing myself with this man.
Falling for him.
I had no idea if he meant protecting me from falling on the ice or protecting me through my life.
